Complaints and responses in selected Tshivenda dramas

Abstract:

When we consider the total number of complaints, which have been used in the selected Tshivenda dramas, we find that the drama ZWO ITWA has the most complaints i.e. 24.8 percent of complaints in the six books. The drama VHO LU FUKULA also has a high number of complaints i.e. 20.8 percent of all the complaints. In the analysis of complaints in selected Tshivenda dramas, eight strategies were considered. It frequently happened that more than one strategy was used in individual complaints. On average, 2.1 to 1.7 strategies appear in a complaint with an average of 1.9 strategies per complaint. With regard to the analysis of individual strategies in all books, we find that indirect accusation has the highest frequency i.e. 35.7 percent. This refers to an accusation in which the complainer wants to find out whether the hearer may be the potential agent of the complaint. Thus, the complainer does not directly accuse the hearer of the complaint. The study also reveals that characters like using strategies, which are less direct, and less face threatening. The strategies, which appeared most frequently in of each book, are annoyance, indirect accusation, ill consequences and explicit blame on behaviour (action). When we consider the total number of responses, which have been used in all the dramas, the study shows that ZWO ITWA has the most responses i.e. 22.6 percent of all the responses to the complaints in the six books. The drama VHO LU FUKULA also has a high frequency of responses i.e. 20.5 percent of all responses. Out of the six types of responses that were identified, question has the highest frequency of 37.3 percent. It also became clear in this study that some of the questions were used to object. The response, which also has high frequency, is contradiction. This response has a percentage of 21.2 percent of the total responses.